When someone mentions Thanksgiving, images of turkey, football and spending time with family come to mind. For many Young Harris College students the annual Thanksgiving Dinner held in the Grace Rollins Dining Hall comes to mind. This well-known tradition took place this past Wednesday and consisted of two shifts- one at 4:45 p.m. and another at 5:45 p.m. Approximately 442 students were served by 23 faculty members. While the event is held annually at YHC, many do not realize the deep roots that this tradition has in YHC’s history.

The dinner involves getting dressed up, going to the dining hall where we are seated with friends and being served family-style by professors and other faculty.

Austin Freeman, a junior theatre major from Hartwell, says that his favorite part of the Thanksgiving Dinner is hanging out with good friends.

While Dr. Sean McGreevey, director of residence life, said that he loves to serve the YHC students at Thanksgiving.

What many do not know is that years ago every meal at YHC used to be served this way.

According to Mr. Bill Fox, YHC alumni and former faculty member, “we had family style meals every meal. Student workers waited tables and would bring out the food to each table, and it would go around like a family.”

While the Thanksgiving tradition was not officially held in those days, it did occur. According to an issue of the Enotah Echoes that was printed on Dec. 10, 1946, some students were unable to go home over the Thanksgiving holiday. To make sure everyone remaining on campus had a pleasant experience and did not get too homesick, faculty and students worked together to prepare the meals. The dinner was as much loved then as it is now, since the article says that everyone had a good time and that there was “not a homesick person to be seen.”

While Thanksgiving dinner did exist in 1946, it is difficult to determine when the tradition began. Some claim it began when Dr. Charles Clegg was president in the 1950s and early 1960s. While others say it started in the 1970s.

Regardless of when it became an official YHC custom, the meal is enjoyed by students and staff, and this year’s dinner was no exception. Allen Clark, general manager of the Grace Rollins Dining Hall, said the dinner went very smoothly.

“There was plenty of food and plenty of people to come eat it. It looked like everybody was enjoying themselves. I enjoyed it,” Clark said.

Take a quick moment to look around you, right now.What do you see? Probably a television, computer or something else that has a microchip and runs on electricity. Some people see this as a good thing, signifying that access to information has exponentially increased along with the mass production and distribution of technological goods. Technology has allowed humanity to dive deep into the ocean, go out among the stars and improve life here on the ground. However, one must pause and reflect on this. Have scientists gone too far?

Every day there are thousands of men and women with college degrees and stockpiles of knowledge that’s hard to even imagine,working feverishly on some doo-dad or gadget designed to make something easier, faster or unnecessary. At the rate that new products are being made, futures like IRobot or The Matrix no longer seem quite so far fetched. The very scientists creating things to make our lives easier are being crushed by the increasing demand for more; and, every time something new comes out, the creators are already designing the next version of it. Human culture, at least in developed countries, has changed to the point where it revolves around technology. It is the center of daily existence for most people. They feel lost without their phone to keep them connected or their iPod to play music for them. All this ease has allowed people to use less of their brain less often. We’re so spoiled by all the gigabytes and terabytes that the greatest computer of all, the one that birthed all the ideas now floating into our homes and pockets is going to waste: our brains.

Example: Digital clocks are quite commonplace now, almost everywhere. A lot of young kids can’t read analogue-faced clocks because they have no idea how. They’ve become so used to digital, the numbers being screamed so blatantly at them that it would be an insult to human intelligence to misread it, that the big hand and little hand mean nothing. Most people are taught how to read a clock in grade school, if not pre-K. So why have teachers stopped? Because all the analogue clocks are being replaced with digital. There’s no need to teach children a skill they’ll probably never use. The same goes for the use of calculators. For upper-level maths and gigantic numbers, it is perfectly acceptable to use a device designed for exactly such a purpose. However, when a person cannot complete simple math problems, such as 6×8,without plugging it in, there’s an issue. What if there isn’t a calculator handy? What will they do then? Flounder, most likely, which wouldn’t happen if they could do it by hand.

It is very true that technology has improved many things, among them the processing and storing of information as well as gaining access to it. Colleges and other institutions used to have entire buildings to house their paper work, now able to be contained in a single hard drive instead. Right along with that, computers have enabled students to use materials from halfway across the world to cite in their research, something impossible for earlier generations.

The list continues, much too long to recount in one sitting. Contrary to saying that technology should be abolished and everyone should become Amish, most people believe that we should simply put a limit on the amount of technology included in our everyday lives along with buckling down and doing some stuff the hard way. Use a calculator in math class? Go ahead and work out a problem by hand first, then check it. This will give your brain exercise, which it probably is in dire need of, and also allow you to be confident in your answer, as well as your ability to get it yourself. A healthy balance of man and machine is needed here, and the scale is just starting to over-balance. It is up to us to even it out again, to exercise the muscle that spawned all the things we now take for granted. If we don’t, it’s quite possible that we’ll be helpless without it, and who wants to be completely dependent on a machine to do everything for them?

Students line up for the cross-dressing contest in the Susan B. Harris Chapel as a part of Bard Fest. Photo by Jacob Stone

This year at Young Harris College the English department is putting on a bard fest, a festival dedicated to Renaissance poetry, with a focus on William Shakespeare. The festival was organized by Dr. Jennifer Gianfalla.

When asked about her inspiration for the festival, Gianfalla said, “I am currently teaching a Shakespeare class, and I heard from a lot of my students that they were dreading reading Shakespeare’s work. I wanted to come up with a way for them to realize that Shakespeare is fun.”

When asked if she ever experienced anything like this festival at her college, Gianfalla said, “We had a Renaissance festival at Ohio State, but I never participated in it. YHC is a good size for a festival like this, because it will give everyone a chance to participate.” Gianfalla attended Ohio State University and earned her Ph.D. in English, focusing on the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.

Bard fest featured a number of unique events.

Tuesday night Disney’s The Lion King was shown in the Wilson Lecture Hall in Goolsby Center, because it is an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

After the movie, a poetry slam was scheduled in the student center. The winner was Andreas Von Pechmann. The second place winner was Cedric Epps, who played the piano while reading his poem.

Wednesday, a Renaissance meal was served in the dining hall. Students could eat steamship beef round with oven roasted potatoes covered in a garlic shallot sauce. During lunch, Dr. Gianfalla and some other English professors hosted Shakespeare trivia. There were questions about Shakespeare’s plays and his life. The winner was Dawn Shannon, who won a Bard Fest t-shirt.

Wednesday night, there was a showing of Romeo+ Juliet in the Wilson Lecture Hall and a Glee performance in the chapel at 9 p.m.

Thursday saw an insult contest and a cross-dressing competition that was held in the Susan B. Harris chapel. First was the insult competition, which five students competed in. In the first of two rounds, competitors had to insult celebrities with terms that would have been considered insulting in the time of Shakespeare. In round two, the competitors had to fling, “yo’ mama” jokes at various celebrities including Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, Snooki, Tiger Woods, Lindsay Lohan, Justin Beiber and ‘The Situation.’

Cole Crawford won the insult competition. He won a t-shirt and an iTunes gift card. After winning, Crawford said, “it feels like I’ve just found the fountain of youth. Words cannot describe how happy I am.”

The second event of the evening was the cross-dressing competition. There were 15 competitors in all. Three were male and 12 were female. The competitors had to dress like the opposite sex and read a passage in their best male or female voice. The event was highly entertaining; and in the end, the best male dressed as a female was Aaron O’Tule.

“It is an experience I cannot even begin to explain,” O’Tule said. “I feel so pretty, yet so wrong.”

The best female dressed as a male was Elizabeth Land, who joked, “It feels pretty sweet to win. I feel manly.”

Jordan Fleming, a junior musical theater major from Marietta, is a member of YHC's 83-voice choir that sang at First United Methodist Church of Union County for "An Evening at the U.S.O." Photo by Jacob Stone

This past Friday and Saturday night, Young Harris College’s choir performed “An Evening at the U.S.O.” at First United Methodist Church of Union County in Blairsville, where admission was priced at $10 a person. The tribute to the 1940s big band era was not only a performance by the 83-voice choir, but also a fundraiser for their European Choir Tour, a trip that the choir plans to take after spring graduation.

For those who don’t know what the U.S.O. is, it stands for United Service Organizations, which is a nonprofit organization. It provides services performances to entertain those in and who have been in the service. It originated during World War II and is still going strong today.

YHC’s “An Evening at the U.S. O.” appeared to be a fun and entertaining event for all, and it certainly seemed to be a good fundraiser for the choir. Jeffrey Bauman, the director of the choir, was pleased with the event.

“I think it was very successful fundraiser. It was good for the community as well. It was also fitting and convenient, [since] it was around Veteran’s Day. I’m very pleased,” Bauman said.

The event consisted of many performances of classic songs that went with the theme of the show including, “Chattanooga Choo Choo,” “It Don’t Mean A Thing” and “As Time Goes By”.

Along with popular songs from the time, the choir also sang a salute to each of the United States Armed Forces. However, the choir wasn’t the only one to perform.

The Brasstown Big Band, which accompanied the choir throughout the night, also performed their own set. While songs were being performed, there were slides on the large TV screens with the song titles and vintage propaganda art to help take the audience back in time.

“I think it was an excellent show,” said Leonard Poole, a retired marine in attendance from the city of Young Harris. “It went well, and was well presented. I have an invested interest too, since I have a daughter performing. [I was a marine], so this is something I hold dear to my heart,” Poole said.

The performance drew in hundreds of patrons. The spectators consisted of veterans of the service, members of the local community and YHC students.

Even with diversity amongst the crowd, all in attendance seemed to have a good time. There were applause and plenty of laughter throughout the night. Those watching were in awe of the musical performances from the performers, and audience members laughed at the comical announcements by Dr. Bauman and Dr. Benny Ferguson, one of the band directors of the evening. Even with the comical relief, the focus of the night remained on the YHC choir.

“I think it was a lot of fun and everyone enjoyed it,” said Rebekah McDevitt, a freshman music major from Meansville. “It definitely raised a good bit of money for the choir,” McDevitt said.

Heath Burnett is a musical theatre major from Ellijay. Photo by Jacob Stone

A native of Ellijay, Heath Burnett strives to be an inspiration to all he meets.

“When I was born, my dad walked out of the room shaking his head,” said Burnett. “He told my Aunt Mellissa, ‘he was born missing a right arm.’ The feeling in the room was sober until my Aunt said, ‘Wait a minute. This boy was born on Elvis Presley’s birthday. He is going to be a star! You should be excited!’”

Burnett strives to be the best that he can be at everything he does.

“My goal in life is to be inspiring to people, to show them that no matter the circumstances they should keep going,” Burnett said.

When he was growing up, Burnett had a hard time adjusting to not having his arm. But as he got older, he realized that he has been blessed just the way he is.

“You don’t miss something you never had; I wouldn’t know what to do with another arm,” Burnett said.

Burnett was raised with a musical family; therefore he has always surrounded himself with music. A freshman at Young Harris College, he is majoring in musical theater and has written some songs of his own.

“When I was younger, I saw my cousin playing the guitar. I wished I could play as well; but I never thought it was possible, because I could not hold a pick. Then one day I just picked the guitar up and ran my nub over it. It made a sound! From then on I realized that God had built my pick into my arm,” Burnett said.

Burnett likes playing folk music and would love to learn to play blues sometime in the future. Along with enjoying a wide variety of music he also can play the upright base,the bongos and the guitar.

Despite the obstacles life has thrown him, he remains positive.

“In everything I do I pick the path less traveled, and I find my way,” Burnett said.

Far left, Jamil Saaka jumps over one of the basketball team's managers. Top right, Frank Adams shows off his dunking skills for the crowd. Bottom right, Athletics Director Randy Dunn encourages students to get excited for the upcoming season. Photos by Jacob Stone

By Brand Driver, Staff Writer

On Thurs., YHC had their first ever Midnight Madness event to kick off the first basketball season in forty years. This event was well attended with two full student sections which were crazy and excited about the upcoming basketball season, which kicks off Nov. 15.

The event started off with an introduction of the cheerleading squad. Cheer team captain Emmy Caton led the fans in cheers and chants to get the crowd fired up.

President Cathy Cox took the floor to announce the revealing of the name of the new gym. The banner was dropped and the new name was shown, the Valley of Doom. The crowd then went wild in approval of the new name.

YHC sophomore Jordan Johnson was very excited about the event and commented, “The countdown to Midnight Madness was a great way to start off my birthday!”

The Lady Mountain Lions were up next on the schedule for the night and the team was introduced by head coach Brenda Paul. These girls came out with pride for their team and showed their skill by doing a few drills with trick passes and a variety of lay-ups.

The Men’s basketball team was last, but certainly not least, on the itinerary for the night. When the team was announced, there was a lot of love and excitement in the air after the name of every player.

The team started out with a quick passing drill and then jumped into layup lines. After a few minutes of warming up, the players decided to have a dunk contest. The contest consisted of Philip Uys, Bryson Robertson and Jamil Saaka. With one dunk allowed per participant, each player made sure to show their skills for the crowd. The vote for the best dunk was made obvious by a roar of applause from the crowd when Saaka jumped completely over one of the team’s managers to slam dunk the ball in the net.

This spectacle left students and fans anxious for the Nov. 15 return of YHC basketball.

Koen Gottenbos reaches into a mystery box at the biology table during the Majors Fair. Photo by Jacob Stone

The Majors Fair was held on Thursday for Young Harris College students. It was held in Enotah Hall on both the main and second levels.

“The program [Majors Fair] is directed to all undecided students as well as to decided students who still may be uncertain about their choice of major or looking at options for minors, etc. The intent of this program is to provide a centralized opportunity for students to investigate various curricular and career options in one place at one time,” said Niki Fjeldal, director of orientation and first year experience.

The majors and minors that set up tables in Enotah Hall were: music, theatre/musical theatre, history, English, biology, outdoor leadership, astronomy minor, communication studies, business and public policy and education and math, which will be proposed in 2011.

The set-up was very easy. The majors, minors and groups were put in one large semi-circle on the bottom floor. A few majors or minors were set up on the second floor, and some were set up outside. Each table had a pamphlet about the major, minor or group and other brochures, videos and papers for students to read over.

While talking with Danae Turchyn, instructor of outdoor leadership and assistant director of the outdoor leadership center, Turchyn stated that, “one of the biggest things for us right now is that we went from being called outdoor education to outdoor leadership.”

This change actually took place the day of the Majors Fair, and it is a big step for the program, as it becomes one of the majors offered to YHC students and prospective students.

All professors that were present were nothing less than excited about the Majors Fair. Each professor seemed enthusiastic about sharing information to students about their degree program.